This invention relates to the handling of fluorescent bulbs, and in particular to methods and apparatus for holding and transporting fluorescent bulbs.
Fluorescent bulbs are widely used in commercial and residential settings. A fluorescent bulb is a glass tube with electrodes on the end. Fluorescent bulbs contain a small quantity of mercury that can be harmful to the environment and to human health when improperly managed. Mercury is regulated under RCRA, which is administered by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Under current Federal law, mercury-containing lamps such as fluorescent may be hazardous waste. To prevent toxic material from contaminating the environment, fluorescent bulbs must be disposed of responsibly.
While fluorescent bulbs can come in a variety of sizes and shapes, the majority of bulbs are either 1xe2x85x9c inches in diameter and either 48 inches, 72 inches, or 96 inches long. Because they are fragile and because of their size, fluorescent bulbs can be hard to handle. A broken bulb presents hazards not just from injury from the broken glass, but also from contamination from the mercury vapor in the bulb. It is convenient to collect and hold fluorescent bulbs in an elongate container to protect the bulbs from breakage and contain the contents if there is a breakage. However, it is difficult to fully load a container that is upright or on its side, the bulbs tend to move within the box, breaking and/or making it difficult to load additional bulbs into the container.
The present invention relates to a method of, and apparatus for, handling fluorescent bulbs, to facilitate the fast and efficient collection and disposal, while minimizing the risk of breakage, and the attendant risks of injury and contamination.
Generally, the method of this invention comprises supporting a container for the fluorescent bulbs at an angle while it is being filled. This allows the bulbs to be arranged in the most efficiently packed arrangement, and reduces the incidence of the bulbs moving before the container is filled. In the preferred embodiment, the container is held at an angle of between about 30xc2x0 and about 60xc2x0, and more preferably at an angle of between about 35xc2x0 and about 50xc2x0, and most preferably at an angle of between about 400 and about 45xc2x0.
Generally, the apparatus of this invention comprises a cart having a support having a sloped support surface for supporting a container for collecting fluorescent bulbs at an angle, and maintaining the container at that angle while the container is moved about as it is filled. The cart preferably holds the container at an angle of between about 30xc2x0 and about 60xc2x0, and more preferably at an angle of between about 35xc2x0 and about 50xc2x0, and most preferably at an angle of between about 40xc2x0 and about 45xc2x0.
In the preferred embodiment, the cart comprises a base having a first and second ends, a first pair of wheels on the first end of the base, a second pair of wheels at the second end of the base. A strut, having first and second ends, is hingedly mounted at its first end to the first end of the base. A support having first and second ends, hingedly mounted at its first end to the second end of the base. The hinged mounting of the strut and support permit the strut and the support to swing between a folded position, in which the strut and the support lie generally parallel to the base, and an extended position in which the second end of the strut engages the support to hold the support at an angle of between about 30xc2x0 and about 60xc2x0 with respect to the base, more preferably at an angle of between about 350 and about 50xc2x0, and most preferably at an angle of between about 40xc2x0 and about 45xc2x0. The support surface is preferably curved to support a cylindrical collection container.
Thus the method and apparatus of the present invention provide a fast and inexpensive way to collect fluorescent bulbs by holding the collection container in a preferred orientation while that container is being filled. This makes it easier to more densely pack the container, and reduces the risk that bulbs will be broken while the container is moved about as it is being filled, and as bulbs are inserted into the container. %